Dallas’ Deep Ellum Art Park is slated to get a spray-paint-laden makeover this month. Nearly 30 pro and up-and-coming artists will be creating portraits of some of Dallas-Fort Worth’s top musical talent of recent generations, just in time for the Deep Ellum Block Party on November 23, the Deep Ellum Foundation said.
The new murals will stretch from Main Street to Canton Street along Good Latimer Expressway underneath highway I-345, at the gateway to the historic Deep Ellum neighborhood just east of downtown.
“For years it’s been a dream of mine to see the entrances into Deep Ellum become magical and interactive gateways,” artist Jerod “DTOX” Davies, the curatorial lead behind the project, said in a statement. “This Musical Art Garden project begins that journey coming to life, and I cannot wait for Dallasites and visitors alike to discover, enjoy, learn and be impacted to the point of inspiration by this upgraded special area in our already world-famous entertainment district of Deep Ellum.”
A theme of ‘new growth’
“Before”: How the Deep Ellum Art Park looks before the planned transformation by almost 30 visual artists beginning the week of Nov. 20, 2024. [Photo via Deep Ellum Foundation]
The foundation said the project’s theme of “new growth” is a nod to Deep Ellum’s enduring creative ethos, phoenix-like ability to morph, and history as a launchpad for entrepreneurs and creatives of all stripes. Evocative plant life, magical trees, and florals will surround and uplift 25 featured musicians once the artistic transformation is finished.
Individual structures will highlight these local music legends as a means to honor and “give flowers” to modern musicians making an impact in the Deep Ellum Cultural District and the city.
The Deep Ellum Art Park was last painted in 2009. The current revitalization project will be completed in phases beginning the week of November 20. The project is supported by the Texas Commission on the Arts, Deep Ellum Foundation, and private funders as well as in-kind donors including Complete Landsculpture.
Deep Ellum Block Party slated for Nov. 23
The foundation said attendees at the Nov. 23 Deep Ellum Block Party will have the opportunity to pick up a paint brush and jam with the artists on November 23.
Visitors that day will be able to see several musicians featured on streetlight poles along with fresh new murals in the neighborhood—in addition to live music stages across Deep Ellum featuring Big Tuck, Tim DeLaughter of Polyphonic Spree and Tripping Daisies, and Cameron McCloud of Cure for Paranoia.
Here’s the list of musicians to be featured in the new public art works—and the visual artists who’ll bring them to life:
|
Featured Musicians
|
Participating Visual Artists |
| Shaun Martin | Jerod Davies |
| Vaden Lewis | Isaac Davies |
| Tim DeLaughter | Jessica Molina |
| Edie Brickell | Selena Mize |
| D.O.C. | Isabella Mireles |
| Rhett Miller | Reuben Cheatem |
| Marc Rebillet | Steve Hunter |
| Joshua Ray Walker | Dan Colcer |
| Daniel Jones | Chris Bingham |
| St. Vincent | Joe Skilz |
| BigXthaPlug | Benjamin Coleman |
| JD Beck | Chase Fleischman |
| Post Malone | David Rodriguez |
| Kirk Franklin | Hatziel Flores |
| Demi Lovato | Martell Holloway |
| Sudie | Marissa Caggiano |
| Leah Lane | Ebony Lewis |
| Cameron McCloud | Jose (Sparks) Ramirez |
| R.C. Williams | Ray Albarez |
| Norah Jones | Alfredo Piña |
| Kelly Clarkson | Catalina Currea |
| Big Tuck/DSR | Bukola Jaji |
| Jarett Reddick | Mikayla Magee |
| Tim Henson | Dora Reynosa |
| JD Moore | |
| Carissa Nalley | |
| Eddie Walker |
The Deep Ellum Foundation is a nonprofit that manages the public improvement district that Deep Ellum is in. It works to enhance, improve, and market the neighborhood as a whole. The foundation also serves as the liaison between city officials, business owners, property owners, and residents.
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